Bentley reveals fastest ever Mulsanne

This is the brand new Bentley Mulsanne ‘Speed', and that suffix is indeed most appropriate. It's fast.

How fast? We'll get to that shortly. First, you must know that Bentley's engineers have tuned the 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8 up front, with that monster engine now producing 530bhp and a simply gargantuan 811lb ft of torque; a rise from 505bhp/752lb ft.

Thanks to a few things you might not fully understand - a totally redesigned combustion system, advances in variable valve timing and optimised turbocharger control - the Mulsanne is able to develop this healthy power and those prodigious torques.

It also gets a recalibrated ZF eight-speed gearbox too, a smoother transition between four cylinders and eight (that'll be the cylinder deactivation system for better efficiency) and a new ‘Sport' mode.

In ‘S', the gearbox keeps the revs over 2,000rpm all the time, so the turbos spin happily, while the air suspension is stiffened all round, and the steering claims to provide greater feedback and accuracy.

So, with all these bits, you're wondering about the ‘Speed' part of the Mulsanne's new name, right? Thankfully, this you will understand. It'll now go from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds (0-60mph in 4.8s), and rock on to a top speed of 190mph. That's helpfully quicker than before.

There's a dark tint finish to some of the exterior, 21in ‘directional' alloy wheels, twin rifled exhaust pipes, some ‘Speed' badging, four new paint options, and the full Mulliner Driving Spec for the interior as standard. You're looking at diamond quilted hide door panels and seats, embroidered Bentley emblems, drilled alloy pedals, and a ‘coined' finish to the door handles.

Elsewhere you'll find a 60GB hard-drive, electrically operated tables, on board WiFi and even a frosted bottle cooler.

Internet, do tell us your innermost thoughts on this very fast Bentley.